Should students be allowed to use cell phones in school? As cell phones pop up everywhere, some schools are prohibiting them. But others say the phones are useful in emergencies

New York Times Upfront, May 9, 2003

YES

I found out about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 while I was in school. My first impulse was to pull my cell phone out of my purse to call my father. He was in Boston at the time, and when I heard that two of the hijacked planes came from Boston's Logan Airport, I was terrified. Never have I let out such a great sigh of relief as when I heard his voice on the other end of the line.

More than 40 percent of American teenagers own cell phones. For many of them their use is a specific one: safety. We teenagers are getting more independent as we get older, and often the only way that our parents can be immediately assured of our whereabouts and our safety is by calling us.

Nevertheless, some school boards have decided that cell phones do more harm than good. School officials say that along with causing distractions in an educational environment, cell phones have also been used in illicit acts such as drug dealing and making bomb threats. Still, why should thousands have to pay the price for the illegal actions of a few? If a phone rings during class, the teacher has every right to confiscate it, but to forbid the very presence of cell phones is ridiculous. Banning cell phones doesn't even solve these problems; it just reroutes them to a place outside of the school's jurisdiction.

We are living in unpredictable times. The horrors of Sept. 11 and the Columbine school massacre ought to show us that we are highly susceptible to danger, even during the school day. The only way that we can have the slightest peace of mind is by knowing that our loved ones are just a call away, and no school board should take that away from us.

NO

Everyone has seen it before: You're taking notes in class, and all of a sudden, you hear it--a beep-ified "Fur Elise" starts blaring out of someone's backpack over the silence of an attentive class. Chaos ensues, and the teacher struggles to re-establish order. My position on this issue might be unpopular with my peers, but I do not believe cell phones should be allowed in school.

To begin with, I would like to ask what use cell phones are in a school environment in the first place. Chances are, most students are in the same building, and can find each other at lunch or after school. If a student needed urgently to reach a classmate, the calling student would probably tell a teacher first anyway. I understand the need for a channel of communication between students and parents, but really. Parents can easily call the office and get directed to the student's classroom. Those little black phones that the teachers have in their rooms? Believe it or not, they do serve a purpose.

The most common argument for cell phones in school is that if you play a sport, you'll need a cell phone to get a ride home; and this is actually a valid point. For this one purpose, I think coaches should be able to sign conditional permission slips that allow cell phones at school if they are turned off and not brought out of the student's backpack.

I believe my concerns about cell phones in school are shared by most teachers and school administrators. The bottom line is that cell phones are distracting in school, and in all cases but possibly one, entirely unnecessary in a learning environment.